Rapid separation and quantification of trace titanium dioxide with sizes down to 20 nm in environmental waters

IF 5.7 2区化学 Q1 CHEMISTRY, ANALYTICAL

Analytica Chimica Acta Pub Date : 2025-03-06 DOI:10.1016/j.aca.2025.343905

Lijie Dong , Xiao He , Jingbo Chao

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Background

Titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO₂ NPs) are commonly used in consumer products, leading to their release into the environment and raising concerns about their potential human health risks. Smaller TiO₂ NPs penetrate cell membranes more easily and exhibit stronger bio-toxicity than larger particles. However, methods for analyzing small TiO₂ NPs are limited.

Results

A robust method to identify and quantify TiO₂ NPs with size down to 20 nm within 5 min was developed, based on size-exclusion chromatography coupled with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. To address the issue of column adsorption, salicylaldoxime (SO, 0.1 %) was used to complex ionic Ti and surfactant FL-70 (2 %) was used as the coating agent for TiO₂ NPs in the mobile phase. Work conditions including column type, SO concentration, and FL-70 content were optimized. Consequently, the method successfully separated and quantified TiO₂ NPs and ionic Ti species, with detection limits of 2.23 ng/mL for TiO₂ NPs and 2.10 ng/mL for ionic Ti, meeting most application needs. Spiked recoveries of TiO₂ NPs in environmental water samples ranged from 82.75 % to 95.09 %, verifying the method's practicality.

Significance

This method provides a powerful tool for rapid screening of smaller TiO₂ NPs-containing environmental waters. Furthermore, the strategy proposed in this study to overcome column adsorption provides a useful model for the SEC separation and determination of other trace metal nanoparticles.

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来源期刊

Analytica Chimica Acta 化学-分析化学

CiteScore

10.40

自引率

6.50%

发文量

1081

审稿时长

38 days

期刊介绍： Analytica Chimica Acta has an open access mirror journal Analytica Chimica Acta: X, sharing the same aims and scope, editorial team, submission system and rigorous peer review. Analytica Chimica Acta provides a forum for the rapid publication of original research, and critical, comprehensive reviews dealing with all aspects of fundamental and applied modern analytical chemistry. The journal welcomes the submission of research papers which report studies concerning the development of new and significant analytical methodologies. In determining the suitability of submitted articles for publication, particular scrutiny will be placed on the degree of novelty and impact of the research and the extent to which it adds to the existing body of knowledge in analytical chemistry.